Forensic Flashcards
What is Forensic Psychology
Psychology applied in criminal justice settings.
Focuses on using psychological knowledge to understand and manage criminal behavior.
🧠 Key Work Includes:
🧾 Specialised Assessments
Fitness to stand trial
Insanity defense evaluations
🔁 Recidivism Risk Assessments
→ Predicting the likelihood of reoffending.
🛠️ Rehabilitation Programmes
→ Designing and delivering treatment/intervention plans for offenders.
🚫 Crime Prevention
→ Using psychology to reduce the risk of crime in individuals and communities.
What is personality disorder
🧠 What is a Personality Disorder?
According to the DSM-5-TR, it is:
“An enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that:
Deviates significantly from cultural norms
Is pervasive and inflexible
Begins in adolescence or early adulthood
Is stable over time
Causes distress or impairment in functioning”
(p. 733)
🔄 Think OCEAN (Big Five)
Summarise diagonistc criteria for Antisocial Personality
😈 Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)
Core Pattern:
⚠️ Ongoing disregard for others’ rights since age 15, shown by 3+ of the following:
🔓 Repeatedly breaking laws/social norms
🎭 Deceitfulness (lying, aliases, manipulation)
⚡ Impulsivity/lack of planning
😡 Irritability/aggressiveness (e.g., fights)
🚗 Reckless disregard for safety
📉 Irresponsibility (e.g., job/financial neglect)
❌ Lack of remorse for harm caused
📋 Additional Criteria:
✅ Must be 18 years or older
🧒 History of Conduct Disorder before age 15
🚫 Behavior not explained by Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder
📌 Summary:
ASPD = persistent pattern of violating others’ rights, starting young, continuing into adulthood, with no guilt or responsibility felt.
What is psychopathy
🧠 What is Psychopathy?
Not in the DSM-5-TR as a standalone disorder.
Often assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist.
📋 Psychopathy Checklist - Revised (PCL-R)
Clinician-rated tool to assess psychopathy.
Combines information from:
Semi-structured interview
Collateral info (e.g., police reports, medical records, social history).
Criterion-referenced: Based on established criteria rather than a formal “diagnosis.”
📌 Summary:
Psychopathy is evaluated using the PCL-R, focusing on personality traits and behaviors rather than a formal DSM diagnosis.
Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy, remorse, and guilt, often accompanied by manipulative, charming, and exploitative behaviors, and a tendency towards impulsive and risky actions (AI)
What is the difference between psychopathy and antisocial personality
ASPD:
More common in the general population.
Common among those with a criminal history.
Psychopathy:
Much rarer (about 1% of the general population).
More common in specific settings, like prisons or corporate leadership.
📋 Diagnostic Framework:
ASPD:
Official diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR.
Focuses on behaviors like:
Law-breaking, Deceit, Impulsivity, Lack of remorse
Psychopathy:
Not in the DSM-5-TR as a standalone diagnosis.
Often considered a severe form of ASPD.
Measured using tools like the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), which assesses personality traits and behaviors.
📌 Summary:
ASPD is a formal diagnosis based on behavior patterns, and it’s more common in the general population, especially among criminals.
Psychopathy is a personality disorder measured by specific tools (like the PCL-R), and it’s rarer, often associated with more severe traits, especially in high-functioning individuals.
Key aspects of personality
Stable Over Time
Personality traits remain consistent throughout a person’s life.
Stable Across Situations
Personality traits are relatively consistent, regardless of changing environments.
Varies Between Individuals
People differ in their personality traits (e.g., some are more extroverted, others more introverted).
Genetic & Environmental Influence
Personality arises from a combination of genetic factors and life experiences.
Influences Behavior
Personality shapes behavior, but it interacts with situational factors (e.g., how someone behaves may depend on the environment, but personality still plays a role).
📌 Summary:
Personality is a stable and distinct feature that influences behavior, shaped by both genetics and life experiences.
Can antisocial personality disorder become less evident with age, especially in relation to engaging in criminal behavior?
Yes
Prevalence estimated at ~4%
in the community
* 70 – 80% of prison population
